Councillor attacked again
Police probe arson after Motherwell home, office targeted
THE office and home of Motherwell councillor Thembile Nkosiyapantsi have again been petrol-bombed, bringing to four the number of attacks on his property this year alone.
Yesterday the ANC leadership in the Eastern Cape called on the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to strengthen security for councillors under threat.
On Friday, Nkosiyaphantsi’s Ngobo Street, NU9, office was petrol-bombed.
No one was injured and only an office door was damaged.
Shortly before midnight on Saturday his house was attacked while security guards were on the property. That fire was quickly put out.
In February, his office was set alight twice and his vehicle trashed. Yesterday he said: “They had about 15 tyres against my garage door before lighting them up.
“I was woken up by a neighbour and the security guards and we put the fire out.
“If they could get about 15 tyres against the garage door, where were the security guards? Their vigilance is questionable. I fear for my family.”
Nkosiyaphantsi and the po- lice believe the attacks are service-delivery related. Residents from an informal settlement in Nkosiyapantsi’s ward are demanding to be relocated to RDP houses in NU29 or Chatty.
Nkosiyapantsi said the police should step up their investigation and bring those responsible to book.
“All the cases should be built up and connected because there seems to be a trend now.
“Whoever is caught should be made an example of by pinning all the previous arson cases on them.
“We cannot continue living like this. This is my country and I will not be a prisoner in my own country. I will go wherever I have to go. They must do whatever they want to do with me.”
The metro said they first analysed the level of threat against a councillor before deciding whether to place them at places of safety or allocate them security guards.
Attacks and death threats on councillors have been so numerous that at least 18 ward councillors have had security guards at their homes since the middle of last year.
Council speaker Maria Hermans, who is responsible for councillors’ well-being, said the municipality was still assessing the attacks.
“First we have to secure the councillor and the police and our safety and security department will investigate. If there is a need to remove councillors, we do that because our policy allows us to do that.”
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said: “We are observing that and very much concerned. The municipality must protect its councillors and councillors must deliver services to the people.
“What the municipality is doing must be reinforced because we can’t have councillors chased away by hooligans.”
Mabuyane said the ruling party’s intelligence unit was still analysing the attacks on its public representatives.
“I feel we are being provoked and we cannot allow hooligans to dictate terms,” he said.
Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said they were investigating a case of arson and malicious damage to property.
Asked why they had not made any arrests in all four cases, Beetge said: “We know which community it is. It is the community that feels aggrieved by housing here in Motherwell, but fellow community members are very reluctant to come forward with information and that makes it very difficult to make any arrests.”